Ather Energy & Bounce Announce Tie-Up For Scooter Sharing Program

Bengaluru-based electric scooter company Ather Energy and ride-sharing platform Bounce have announced a tie-up to promote the use of electr...

Bengaluru-based electric scooter company Ather Energy and ride-sharing platform Bounce have announced a tie-up to promote the use of electric vehicles. Both companies have joined hands for their new Peer to Peer (P2P) scooter sharing program that allows individuals to rent out their Ather 450 electric scooters directly during the lockdown via the Bounce App. Currently, users renting scooters via the Bounce app need to pick the vehicle up from a designated location. However, Ather users will pick up the vehicle and drop it back directly to the owners. The pilot program has been launched only in Bengaluru from May 25, 2020. The Ather 450 purchased via Bounce's website can be booked for Rs. 499 and will be delivered on a priority basis post the lockdown.

Also Read: Ather Resumes Operations In Bengaluru & Chennai; 450X Deliveries Delayed

Speaking on the partnership, Tarun Mehta, Co-founder & CEO, Ather Energy, said, "We have always offered unique purchase models that have been designed to make ownership hassle-free. This partnership with Bounce allows our owners to decrease their overall cost of ownership and break even on their investment faster. The Ather scooters are designed on a connected and intelligent platform and the transition to a rideshare use has been seamless. The connectivity will increase the confidence of Ather owners and Bounce renters both, to sign up for the program."

The Ather 450 via Bounce will get free charging for one year at 38 Ather grid spots in Bengaluru

Vivekananda Hallekere, Co-founder & CEO, Bounce, said, "The current way of owning a vehicle and using it only for a few hours a day puts a lot of stress on the entire ecosystem including parking. Bounce brings in trust to enable people to share assets. During times of COVID when public transport won't be ideal, driverless solutions will help move people. It will also enable people to generate cost from existing assets."

Ather Energy has become the first manufacturer of its kind to partner with Bounce to make their products available via the program. The platform aims to make the Ather 450 electric scooter more viable for customers that can list the model for rent, instead of just owning it for personal use. The scooter though needs to commercial registered and is applicable only for new purchases via the Bounce app. These scooters will be immediately delivered to the customers post the completion of the RTO formalities, to be used and shared on the mobility platform.

Also Read: Ather 450X Review: X Times The Fun

Deliveries for the Ather 450 will start immediately post the lockdown

While existing customers with privately registered vehicles cannot list their offerings yet, Ather has confirmed to carandbike that those wanting to do the same will have re-register their respective Ather 450s with a commercial vehicle. The company has also confirmed that it has stocks of the Ather 450 and deliveries for Bounce customers and those who pre-booked the vehicle will be done simultaneously. For Bounce customers, they will now be able to rent an Ather scooter for hours or days, depending on the requirement. The vehicle owner has the liberty to list the electric scooter for a time that suits them and will be remunerated by Bounce when the scooter is rented.

Furthermore, the firm has introduced new Ather One post-purchase plans that have been customised for the ride-sharing platform. This includes a new service and maintenance plan that will address the wear and tear of multi-rider usage. With cloud connectivity and telematics, customers will be able to monitor the health of the vehicle via the Ather app. The Bounce scooters will also be eligible for free fast charging at the 38 Ather grid spots for one year and will be delivered with a portable charger that can be used with any 5A plug point.

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